Cap with brim insert

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed an improved cap construction formed by a head portion for seatment on a user&#39;s head and a brim extending outwardly from the head portion. The brim is provided with an opening having a discrete geometric configuration, and an insert is provided having a geometric configuration with mates with the opening&#39;s geometric configuration. The insert may be formed of a plasticized tinted material to filter the sun&#39;s rays to the user&#39;s eyes. The insert may also be provided with indicia imprinted on the exterior surface thereby to provide a promotional function by the cap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to a new construction of a cap or hat of the type which includes a front brim portion. The invention is adaptable to any cap or hat construction which is provided with a brim portion which extends substantially horizontally outwardly from a hat portion, and provides a cap or hat brim which has a useful function, as well as providing marketing and promotional capabilities.

The present invention is directed to a cap or hat having a brim portion along the front side of the cap or hat which is constructed with a hat portion which seats over the head of the user, the head portion having a brim portion which extends outwardly from the front portion of the hat portion. The brim portion is provided with a cut-out, the cut-out section accommodating an insert fixedly secured within the cut-out section. The insert may take the form of a tinted lens material which shields the user's eyes from the sun's rays. As a further refinement the tinted lens material may incorporate marketing or promotional indicia imprinted thereon, such that the indicia are visible when viewing the hat or cap from the outside while still maintaining the sun shielding characteristics of the tinted lens material.

For purposes of the present description, the term cap is meant to include any type of hat or cap which is constructed with a brim portion extending outwardly from the front portion of the cap such that the brim portion overhangs the eyes of the user where the cap is worn on the user's head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The prior art deals with caps which provide inserts for portions of the hat portion which consists of the top portion of the cap that sits on the users head, having a front portion which is adapted to provide a position for the insertion of either logos or other advertising or promotional media or indicia to be inserted therein. Typically, the cap carries a front portion of the head part wherein ball club team names or other indicia are presented to the observer of the cap. To the extent that advertising, promotional or display information is inserted in the brim portion, there is prior art that does show such information but it is usually imprinted. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,538 shows an image imprinted visor and a method of manufacturing the same. Information is imprinted on the brim of the cap, in order to display such information to the observer.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,129 shows a ball cap having information printed on the hat portion of the cap, that is, the portion above the brim.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,761 shows a ball cap having a visor brim wherein the visor is provided with an insert which is located on the top surface of the visor, the insert being protected by a plastic envelope fastened to the visor with a strip of hook and loop material. The envelope then can contain various indicia or other pictorial information.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,847 displays a ball cap having the hat portion wherein the front portion includes a pocket for including a picture or other visual display information inserted therein. This of course goes along with U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,570 which display a ball cap for inserting various indicia or other information in the hat portion of the cap, and in the front of the head portion for display to the observer. This further includes the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,813 which again show a ball cap for display of indicia and information in the head portion of the cap.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,562 shows a variation wherein a ball cap is provided with a brim of the cap which accommodates a flexible and pliable insert to permit a display to be embroidered or sewn thereto while permitting the brim to maintain its shape.

Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,847 shows a ball cap which provides four compartments for display and information, two of which are provided on the head portion and two of which are provided on the brim or visor wherein an insert is provided for inserting promotional or other indicia therein, and sealed within the plastic envelope for display to the observer.

The present invention is directed to an improvement over the prior art ball caps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In summary, the present invention provides a hat and/or a cap having a head portion for seatment upon the user, and the head portion including a visor or brim which extends forwardly of the head portion. The brim is formed of a semi rigid material which is designed to maintain its shape as is usually known in the art. In the present invention, the brim includes a cutout or open portion which is provided with an insert which may consist of a variety of materials. The insert may be of a see through lens material, or it may be formed of a semi-rigid material containing permanent indicia such as marketing logos and the like. In the primary or principle object of the invention, the insert comprises a lens material which is basically see through, but may be tinted in order to shield the sun rays from the user. The insert is fixedly secured within the cutout or open portion of the brim by appropriate securing means. The lens material may be a plasticized lens which is intended to shield UV rays, and hence, the brim operates much in the same manner as sun glasses.

In another embodiment, the cutout portion or open portion of the brim may be provided with a series of LED lights or other lighted means which are wired to a power source such as a small battery compartment, and includes a switch such that whatever indicia is included in the insert or cutout portion may be lit up by activating the power means via the switch.

The invention is best understood by reference to the attached drawings and following specification which describes the invention therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ball cap of the present invention showing the hat portion and brim portion thereof with the insert;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing the ball cap of the present invention including the head portion and brim portion showing the insert therein;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the ball cap of the present invention showing the hat portion and the brim portion including the insert portion thereof;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the brim portion of cap, showing the brim having the insert secured therein;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view showing the hat portion and the brim with the insert installed therein;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the brim portion of the cap, showing the insert portion secured therein, and a plurality of light means positioned around the insert portion for lighting the insert;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view in cross section showing the brim of the cap having a continuous groove for securing the insert therein; and

FIG. 7A is a cross section view showing the brim with a groove formed therein and the insert installed in the groove;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the cap showing the brim offering having a continuous flange formed therein for securing the insert thereon.

FIG. 8A is a top view in partial cross-section showing the flange and the insert installed therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

As has been indicated herein, the present invention deals with an improvement to a hat or cap of the type which includes a head portion for seatment upon the users head, and wherein the forward portion of the head portion includes a brim. Hence, the invention herein may be utilized in connection with any hat having a brim but for ease of reference herein, the following description shall describe the invention in connection with a cap.

FIG. 1 shows the cap generally described by the numeral 10 which includes a head portion 12, and a brim 14. The brim 14 is generally made out of a stiffened material which usually includes a semi-flexible interior such as cardboard, plastic or the like, covered by a cloth material such as felt, or other material which is then stitched to the underlying plastic or cardboard material. This construction is generally well known in the art. The brim 14 of the present invention generally includes an opening 16 cut through the brim 14 in order to accommodate an insert 18 to be positioned therein.

The opening 16 has a specific geometric configuration, which in the preferred embodiment, follows the geometric configuration of the brim 14. It will be obvious however, that any geometric configuration may be employed so long as the geometric configuration fits within the confines of the brim 14. The insert 18 similarly has a specific geometric configuration which corresponds to the geometric configuration of the opening such that the insert is mountable within the confines of the opening and secured therein. It is contemplated that once the insert 18 is secured within the opening 16, both exterior and interior surfaces of the brim 14 will essentially be continuous and smooth.

In one embodiment of the invention, the insert 18 is a plasticized lens material which is intended to block sun rays in the same manner as sunglasses. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the insert 18 is secured within the opening 16 by securement means which will be described hereinafter.

The insert 18 may be constructed of a lens material which incorporates printed indicia imprinted onto the lens material such that the printed indicia may be observed or read when looking at the outside of the insert 18 but is not observed or read by the user when looking through the under-side of the insert 18. Hence, if the cap 10 of the present invention is manufactured for a ball team the name of the ball team may be imprinted on the insert material which is viewable from the outside of the brim but not from the underside of the insert 18. It will therefore be appreciated that if the insert 18 is constructed from a tinted material which functions to shield the user's eyes from the sun's rays, the user will have a clear and unobstructed view through the brim insert 18 while the team name of logo is presented to outside observers' viewing the user's cap.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cap 10 may be provided with a series of lights 24 surrounding the opening 16, and fixedly secured to the brim 14. The lights may consist of LED's (light emitting diodes), or other known light means operated by a battery source 20 which includes a switch 22 which is electrically connected to the lights 24 by means of electrical connection 26. Current technology permits the battery source to be extremely minute, as well as the lights 24 and electrical connection 26, such that the bulk and weight of the electrical system is insignificant.

As more fully shown in FIG. 7, the cap 10 may be manufactured by forming the brim 14 with an opening 16 formed therein. As previously indicated, the brim 14 is usually formed by a composite of materials including a cardboard or plastic interior covered by a cloth or felt exterior which is secured to the interior material, all as is known in the art. In the present invention, the opening 16 is manufactured with a continuous groove 32 formed in the interior material of the brim 14 extending around the opening 16. The insert 18 may be mounted into the opening 16 by slightly deforming the insert 18 in order to engage the edges of the insert 18 into the groove 32. Once the insert 18 is properly positioned, the insert 18 is released such that the edges enter the groove 32 and hence mounted within the opening 16.

In FIG. 7A, the details of construction of the brim 14 are shown. The brim 14 includes a continuous groove 32 into which the insert 18 is installed.

FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative construction of the opening 16 in the brim 14 to accommodate mounting the insert 18 therein. In this variation, the opening 16 in the brim 14 includes a flange 34 which is formed from the material from which the interior of the brim is formed. The flange 34 extends around the entire periphery of the opening 16. The insert 18 is then laid onto flange 34 and is either stitched thereto, or may be adhesively secured to the flange 34.

In FIG. 8A, the details of construction of the brim 14 having a continuous flange 34 is illustrated. The flange 34 is created from the material which forms the brim 14 and the insert 18 seats on the flange 34. The installation is completed by either stitching the insert 18 to the flange 34, or adhesively securing the insert 18 to the flange 34.

It will be appreciated that the advantage of having a cap 10 with an opening 15 formed in the brim 14 in order to accommodate an insert 18 which is formed from a plasticized sun shield material is that the cap 10 still provides a partial blockage of the sun's rays by the solid portion of the brim 14, while the insert 18 provides a see-through area in the brim 14.

Another advantage achieved by the inventive cap 10 of the present invention is that the insert 18 may also be formed of a completely solid, non-see-through material and installed in the opening 16 of the brim 14. For example, the cap 10 may be manufactured as a promotional or marketing tool for a product or a service, in which event, the name or logo of the product or service is imprinted on the insert 18 and installed in the opening 16 of the brim 14. The advantage of this construction is that a manufacturer of the cap 10 is permitted to produce any number of caps and then private label any number of caps for a given customer. For example, a manufacturer may produce 10,000 caps of the same construction with an opening 16 in the brim 14 and if it receives an order from a single customer for 1000 caps with a specific logo or name, 1000 inserts would be produced and 1000 caps sold to that customer, while the remaining 9000 caps would be in inventory for sale to another customer with a different promotional or logo directive. Further, should any errors be made of the name or logo, only the insert so created will be scraped, as opposed to the entire cap.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the present invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended that all such variations be covered by the appended claims. 

1. An improved cap construction of the type having a head portion for seatment on the head of a user and a brim portion extending horizontally outwardly from at least a portion of the head portion, the improvement comprising, an opening formed in the brim portion of the cap, said opening having a specific geometric configuration, securement means associated with said opening, an insert having a specific geometric configuration corresponding with the geometric configuration of said opening, and said insert being secured within the confines of said opening by said securement means.
 2. The improved cap construction as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said insert is formed of a plasticized tinted material thereby to function as a sun ray filter.
 3. The improved cap construction as set forth in claim 2 above, wherein said insert further includes indicia imprinted on the exterior surface thereof, said indicia being observable from the exterior of the brim portion while affording a substantially clear view through the interior of said insert.
 4. The improved cap construction as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said insert is formed from a solid material, said insert further including indicia imprinted on the exterior surface thereof, whereby said insert provides a promotional message thereon.
 5. The improved cap construction as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said securement means comprises a groove formed in the opening formed in said brim and said insert is formed of a material having a thickness capable of being inserted into said groove whereby said insert is mounted within said opening of said brim.
 6. The improved cap construction as set forth in claim 5 above, wherein said insert is deformable to the extent that said insert may be deformed sufficiently until the insert edges may be inserted with the confines of said groove thereby mounting said insert within said opening.
 7. The improved cap construction as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said securement means comprises a flange formed around the periphery of said opening in said brim, said flange having the same geometric configuration as said opening, said insert being accommodated to lay on said flange and securing said insert to said flange to mount said insert to said flange.
 8. The improved cap construction as set forth in claim 7 above, wherein said insert is secured to said flange by stitching said insert to said flange.
 9. The improved cap construction as set forth in claim 7 above, wherein said insert is secured to said flange by an appropriate adhesive.
 10. The improved cap construction as set forth in claim 1 above, wherein said opening in said brim is provided with a series of light means surrounding the periphery thereof, and said cap includes a power source for said light means and electrical connection between said power source and light means thereby to provide electrical power to said light means thereby to provide light to said insert when said light means is energized. 